Lesbian Parents in the US Should Not Need to Adopt Their Own Children

When the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark abortion rights case Roe v. Wade on June 24, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people across the United States were horrified to learn that, in addition to having protection of key reproductive rights rolled back, their marriages and relationships could be next. In his concurring opinion, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the Court reconsider past rulings enshrining constitutional rights to contraception and same-sex marriage and relationships.

The case of a lesbian mother in Oklahoma fighting for legal parenthood of her child demonstrates what happens when states get to decide which rights queer people deserve. In January 2022, an Oklahoma court removed Kris Williams from her child’s birth certificate, replacing it with the name of the sperm donor, who is now petitioning for custody of Williams’ son.

The case highlights the persistent precarity of legal parenthood for lesbians, particularly those who do not give birth to their children.